ByeFelicia

Hi Ladies!! I'm with y'all and my surgery is scheduled for June 7th!! If I thought the qualification checklist was brutal, this pre-op checklist is the same!! Do you ladies have to watch more videos and take a pre-and post-op nutrition class? I'm nervous about the diet which I start mine May 24th!

Anyone having their operation in June? My date is June 7th, and I'd love to talk to other June sleevers so we can pass the time together!!

I ABSOLUTELY understand how you feel. I felt like waiting for a date took longer than the all the pre-op appointments. And now I have until June 7th to wait and twiddle my thumbs until my VSG. The waiting is the terrible part, but it'll be worth it in the end! Good luck!

It all depends on who handles the paperwork for your doctor's office. I told her the week before my last appointment, and she said she would get everything else ready. And she sent it within a week of my last appointment. The kicker for me was, insurance approved it within 10 days of submission but it took my doctor's office 3 weeks to give me a date. So it'll take some time once you're finished. Good luck!!

I have Fed Blue and my weight loss appointments were ALL OVER the place 18th, 23rd, 14th, 30th and it didn’t affect me in the slightest. As long as it was by a doctor (not the nurse practitioner), the days didn’t matter as long as it was once during that month.

It's super easy. They lay you on your back between two camera heads (so no, it's not worse than an MRI machine-trust me those are bad). They start an IV and they inject a radionuclide (about the same as being in the sun for 30 mins). Then they take pictures as the radionuclide moves through your gallbladder (instant, every minutes, then every 2 mins. etc). And the test lasts about 45 mins to an hour. What they're looking at is to see how slowly or quickly the radionuclide leaves your gallbladder. The longer it takes that means you have sludge or stones. If it moves out within x amount of time (depends on the hospital), then your gallbladder is fine.

i had a sleep study done, but only have sleep apena on my back. The doctor said it's so mild that it's not even really considered sleep apena. You need a minimum of 5 events an hour to have "sleep apnea," and I had 4 events an hour, but ONLY when I was on my back. She said position therapy would help and that I didn't need a CPAP, and that after the sleeve and losing weight it would go away.

Has anyone had the sleeve or any other type of bariatric surgery at UAB in Birmingham? Thoughts, opinions, process?

What plan is GEHA with? I don't know any federal employee that has something other than Fed BCBS. With Fed BCBS, all I've paid is co-pays Psyc Eval $40 Diet I did through my Primary Care Dr. 4 visits at $30 = $120 Surgeon Initial Eval $40 Cardiologist Clearance $40 Swallow Test $0 Total $240 Then for the surgery, Fed BCBS covers everything except a $100 Dr. Fee and then $175 per night hospital stay, and IF I'm in the hospital more than 5 days insurance pays 100% of the hospital stay.

If you have a co-morbidity, then it can be classified as a medical necessity. I'm lucky that my boss is a Cardiologist and he's writing a letter on my behalf, as well as the surgeon as to the medical necessity (using Cardiomyopathy to prevent any future cardiac events) to get me FMLA and Advanced PTO (where they pay me, and as I acquire PTO I just pay it back). Maybe you can get your PCM to write a letter as to how it's a medical necessity and not elective. Good luck!

Hi Stacy, Yes, my doctor doesn't submit the paperwork for approval until everything on the checklist is done. They were waiting for the approval letter from Fed Blue to give me a surgery date. Impatient means I didn't want to wait. Fed Blue snail mails their approval letters, but if you email them through the website they'll upload it there so you can download it. Just a tip, if your doctor submits the paperwork on any day other than Monday, Fed Blue only uploads paperwork into their system on Mondays. My paperwork was sent in on the 27th, put into the Fed Blue system on 4/2 and then a decision was made on 4/3. So they were pretty quick once they had the paperwork uploaded in the system. Good luck!! Felicia

Anyone here in Birmingham, AL? Where did you get your procedure done? what doctor did you use? I'm currently in the process of waiting for my surgery date from UAB with Dr. Jayleen Grams.

https://www.insurenutrition.com/ Their number is 1-877-513-5810

If you have Fed Blue, if you login to your account and send an email via the website, they will email you the approval letter!! If you're impatient like me, I know this is a big deal! Good luck, everyone!

I've already done the cardiology clearance and I had to do a swallow test instead of an endoscopy. They wouldn't submit the paperwork without it. I was told it'll more than likely be the last week in April or first week in May. I'm getting excited and nervous. What about you?

Congrats AShlop80!!! That's AWESOME!! I'm glad Fed Blue was on it and got these decisions done quickly! Did they give you a surgery date?

I have a BMI of 46 and the only other co-morbidity I have is Hypertension that’s being controlled with meds. My surgery was just approved. So if you’re at least on meds for the HTN and a BMI of 46 you shouldn’t have a problem.

Called today to check on my pre-determination and found out I was approved!! Less than 1 day after receiving my paperwork!! My doctor won’t schedule surgery until the official letter comes in, but it’s happening!!!

Just a heads up, I called BCBS fed today and they said if paperwork gets sent AFTER Tuesday it takes a week for them to get it in the system!! So out of the 30 days, it takes them 5-7 days to get it put into their system!!

I haveBCBS Federal and my doctor coded it as High Blood Pressure ANDEating Disorder due to Excess Calories and all I had to pay was I-pays. See if your dr’s office can double code the visit.

I know each BCBS is different. My paperwork was submitted last week and BCBS Federal has said that they haven’t received my paperwork even though my Dr’s office submitted it both electronically and faxed over. I would call and check to see if they’ve received the paperwork!! Good luck!

Congratulations!! Did you call and check with them or wait for the approval letter?

Good luck!! Mine was submitted on Thursday, and I called today to see if BCBS received it. They said no, they haven’t received it, so I’m checking back with my doctors office.

I know there have been posts about this before, but nothing recently. What’s the turn around time for BCBS Federal? My paperwork was sent in last week, and now I’m playing the waiting game.